using points

I'm planning a round trip to Seattle from L.A. I have quite a few points. I'm confused by the Amtrak website. When I looked up a bedroom, the website shows it would take about 49,000 points. Is that number for one way, or round trip?

I only wonder because that would just about get rid of my points. :huh:

Thanks in advance for any help.

Under AGR2.0 Redemptions are based on the Rail Fare and any Upgrade Charges on the Date selected for travel. All Redemption Awards are ONE WAY/ Amtrak doesn't offer Round Trip Fares.

49,000 Points seems High, but it's possible that the Starlight for that day is at Highest Bucket.

Last month on #14(14) we (2 of us) spent 39,537 points for a bedroom LAX > SEA.

1,977 points were rebated as a holder of the BofA AGR credit card.

Thanks for all the information.

Under AGR 1.0, the point redemption was for either 1 or 2 passengers in the room. However, under AGR 2.0, it is based on the "cash fare" for 1 passenger and the 2nd passenger is additional points!

IMHO, AGR is not worth the trouble of trying to collect and/or save up points anymore, especially for those of us in areas with limited Amtrak service. I have several thousand points (over 50k) in the "bank" right now, and am not trying to accumulate any more. I have the no fee BofA AGR card, solely to keep from losing points to expiration. We will burn through our points, someday, with a far shorter trip that we could have had in the old AGR. When those are gone, I will relinquish the AGR card, and continue to use my SWA branded card, which I use now.

Part of this is also due to the downgrading of amenities on Amtrak. It used to be far more fun to ride. Period. Can't really put my finger on it, but, the elegance is not there, the feeling of being an appreciated customer both on board and by corporate is not there.

The cost of sleepers is way higher than I recall it being in the past, as is the cost of coach. At least on trips originating where I live.

We might take the TE to San Antonio, or maybe the HF (if it still exists then) to OKC, for short visits, but both require an extra day due to late night arrivals, and early morning departures. SWA is more convenient........

Such is life, you don't know what you got, till it's gone........

Unless you really need the BoA AGR card off your credit report (which it's rare there's a reason to) it doesn't hurt to just put the card in a drawer somewhere and just not use it. Considering it has no fee, it keeps points from expiring, and it gives a 5% rebate, there's no reason not to have it. There's also no reason, when you do travel Amtrak, to put your AGR number in and earn points on the rail fare. You may not get a lot of points, but you would get some, and there's no downfall for earning points from Amtrak travel (you could even put the actual fare on a credit card that has the points you want and still earn the 2 AGR points per dollar on the fare itself.)

jebr said:

Unless you really need the BoA AGR card off your credit report (which it's rare there's a reason to) it doesn't hurt to just put the card in a drawer somewhere and just not use it. Considering it has no fee, it keeps points from expiring, and it gives a 5% rebate, there's no reason not to have it. There's also no reason, when you do travel Amtrak, to put your AGR number in and earn points on the rail fare. You may not get a lot of points, but you would get some, and there's no downfall for earning points from Amtrak travel (you could even put the actual fare on a credit card that has the points you want and still earn the 2 AGR points per dollar on the fare itself.)

Click to expand...

That is exactly what I am doing. Keep the card for Amtrak expenses,maybe the two short trips indicated above, or a trip out to Longview, but keep it mainly to keep points from expiring. No fee, no hassle.

And assuredly, put in my AGR number for any tickets bought.

But, I am not going to be "working" to collect points anymore. Just not worth much to those of us with limited service, IMHO.